Rats with Silver
by Waffle-San
Summary: Mia wasn't sure of many things, but she knew that rats would steal silver when they could not get gold. [JoshOC]
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Due to some problems with formatting, I had to reupload the story and delete the previous one. My apologies for the double post._

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[20:00 PM Blackwood Pines]

"You know mom's going to be _pissed_."

A smile crept across Mia's pale face as Mike's alabaster fingers hovered just above the thin bandage that wrapped her upper arm. She gave an airy chuckle gently ran a finger down the tape that held it to the skin. "When _isn't_ mom pissed?"

"True, but she's going to be _super_ pissed. Like she-hulk type pissed."

The girl pulled her form fitting knit sweater back over her curvaceous figure. "Well when she starts turning green, I'll run. Until then," she gestured her hand towards the mountain that lay just outside the window of the cable car. It slowly inched closer as the car climbed further along its track. "We're going to party like porn stars." Mike threw his head back and released a hearty chuckle.

"You've been hanging out too much with Josh."

Mia pouted, her plump pink bottom lip jutting out playfully. "Well you leave me alone to go have fun with Emily so much I get lonely, and I _am_ close with his sisters-"

"Sounds sexy." Her fist flew out and impacted his arm roughly, drawing a sharp _'ouch!'_ from the boy. "Hey Hey, I'm just joking!"

She crossed one of her voluptuous legs over the other, her knee high brown leather boots squeaking slightly at the material rubbed together. "I can't pass an excuse to beat you up." The car creaked lowly as their ride slowed to a stop. "Finally. That took a while." Mike got up and stretched his long limbs as his sibling rose to her feet and sauntered out of the cart, the flesh of his abdomen peeking out as the hem of his shirt rose. He picked up both of their bags before following the girl. "Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"That is the ugliest flannel shirt I have ever seen. Seriously, burn it."

"Don't hate."

She gave a merry laugh and held her hand out for him to give her the bags as the other ran through her short raven locks of hair. "Thanks for coming up with me. You go back down and see if Emily got here yet. I'm sure she misses you and it's not that long of a walk to the cabin."

Her brother gave a smile and handed her the large backpack full of her belongings before disappearing into the cart before it descended down the mountain once more. Mia hiked the bag up onto the shoulder opposite of the one with the bandage and turned towards where the cabin loomed in the distance. She watched the horizon for a moment, her brown eyes looking for something that she couldn't name. With a shake of her head, she took a step and made her way up the pathway, one headphone in her ear playing the opening notes of _Cherry Pie_. She hummed along with the notes lowly, enjoying the sound of her own raspy voice and the low vibrations in her chest. One foot in front of the other and her hands in her pocket, she was unaware of the slight movement beyond the tree line.

Mia stopped at opening in the pathway and she examined the area with interest. To the side, a bench liberally covered in white snow sat off to the side alongside a bird bath that was frozen solid with the inclement weather. However, she spied a sliver color in the otherwise blank winter wonderland. She cocked her head, her short inverted bob underneath her red hood swaying with the motion of her head. The vibrant yellow peaked out from the roots of the trees and she swaggered over, eager to see just what it was. She reached one of her pale hands out and brushed the ice off the item before she plucked it off the ground with her forefinger and thumb.

Before she had a chance to fully examine the object of her desire, arms wrapped around her middle and lifted the small female off the ground. With her feet off the ground, she gave a shriek of panic and hooked her foot behind her attacker's knee. With her free leg, she impacted his inner thing, dangerously close to a more sensitive area. With a soft _oh shit!_ from him, she was released from the hold and dropped on to her feet. She pivoted on her foot to face her assailant, her fists up and ready to fight.

"Hey hey hey! I give! Parlay!"

Mia gave a sigh and placed her hands on her hips. "I can't be held accountable for my actions when I'm surprised." Chris stood a couple of feet away from her, one hand on his groin protectively and the other held out in front of him to keep _his_ attacker away from him.

"Geeze I know, but I didn't expect _that_. You're _crazy_!"

She stuck out her tongue and turned on her heel once again to pick up her dropped belongings. "You're just lucky I missed-" Another shriek was torn from her lips as she was once again picked up around her middle. Her body was ungracefully thrown over broad shoulders like a sack of potatoes. One strong arm firmly kept her legs still to prevent her from flailing and accidentally hitting the man in his face. "Damnit put me down!" Her fists beat on the familiar knit sweater of the eldest Washington child. "Joshua!"

The tanned man gave a chuckle and tossed her bag at his friend, whose smug grin screamed that this attack was planned. "No can do, Ms. Munroe. We kill what we catch." One of Josh's free hands landed upon Mia's rear in a playful pat, drawing an embarrassed yelp from the girl. Chris hiked her bag up on his shoulder and followed behind his friend with Mia's chocolate gaze resting on hum sullenly. Her lovely face was drawn into a flustered scowl that was aimed at Chris since she couldn't see the latter's face.

"Aw, cheer up Mia!" In response, she raised one manicured hand up and flicked the bird at the boy. "Ooh ouch." An overdramatic frown painted his features, she was pleased for just a moment. A readjustment from her captor made her squeal and tighten her grip on him.

"You did that on purpose!"

"Did what?"

Their light hearted squabbling kept the mood merry and their trip short as they trekked to the cabin. Josh's hand wrapped around the knob of the door and he threw it open dramatically. "Welcome to every college kid's dream!"

"I'd love to compliment your ridiculously expensive winter get away but someone's got me over their shoulder so I can't see!" She kicked her legs lightly in protest as she slapped her hands down on his back gently. Two warm hands rested on her hips and slid her weight off of her perch. Her nails dragged across his clothing, the sensation making him shiver slightly. He just brushed it off as the cold and spread his arms out in a welcoming gesture as he backed into the kitchen.

"Whatcha think? Perfect romantic getaway for two, am I right?"

She gave a light chuckle and took her bag from the blonde. "I could leave you and Chris on your own if that's what you're asking."

The dark haired male waved his hand dismissively and reached up into the cabinets and pulled down some bottles of expensive alcohol. "Nah, Cochise is too busy fawning over Ashley to pay attention to me."

"Hey!" the bespectacled boy quipped. The mention of his crush caused him to fumble with his phone for a moment. "She's friends with her; she might say something to her!"

"Puh-leez," Mia gave an airy giggle and followed Josh to the kitchen. Her chocolate eyes laid on the alcohol bottles with a certain gleam as Josh fished some shot glasses for the trio. "The only one who isn't painfully aware of your man crush on Ashley is Ashley." Under her breath, she muttered lowly so only she could hear,"I'm still not sure why you like her…"

"What was that?"

She covered up her sour words with a merry laugh and took one of the glass bottles off the counter. "To a wonderful weekend! Vodka shots for all!" She twisted the bottle around so she could inspect the label. "Marshmallow flavored vodka shots."

As she poured out the alcohol, Josh reached one arm around her and snatched up one of the small glasses and threw the liquid into his mouth in one smooth motion before anyone else could get their shots. With a satisfied sigh, he leaned down on the bar top, his weight on his elbows. "You girls and your sugar," he mused as he swirled the few meager drops of liquid around.

"If you don't like it, don't drink it! That just means more for me." Mia gave a laugh and placed the bottle on her pink lips and turned it upside down.

"Mia!" A voice called from the upper floors of the cottage. She turned her head up to see Hannah smiling brightly at her before she descended down the stairs. Somehow, Mia knew Hannah was only happy to see her because it meant Mike wasn't too far away. Hannah scurried over to her paler counterpart and took her free hand in her own. "Come hang out with Beth and me!"

Josh gave a slightly playful whine and jutted his bottom lip out in an overdramatic pout, "We had her first. Wait your turn."

Hannah shook her head and dragged her friend away without another word. The bottle in Mia's hands sloshed with the motion of the pull. Before disappearing up the stairs with her friend, Mia gave a small wave to the boys. Hannah's voice echoed from the hallway as they ascended the stairs. " _Did you do it?"_

Josh just gave a shake of his head and rolled the glass in his fingers absentmindedly. He was unaware of the smile that was blooming across his face as his mind wandered. The laughing of his companion interrupted the pleasant daydreams.

"Oh man and you say _I_ have it bad. You should see _your face!_ " Chris threw his head back as he bellowed out a laugh. A slight flush drew over the latter's face and he turned his nose away stubbornly.

"At least I have plans of asking her!" He huffed out, clearly embarrassed that he had been caught. Despite the offhanded, but lighthearted insult, Chris continued his teasing.

"No you don't! No balls!"

"Do too! Tonight actually!"

Christ cocked a blonde brow skeptically. "Really? You sure about that? With her brother around?"

In response, Josh rolled his verdant orbs. "Mike can go fuck himself."

"Woah calm down there spitfire." A round of laughter resounded from the two as they enjoyed each other's company. "Well I think we're both going to need some more liquid courage," Chris grabbed the nearest bottle and poured it out into the awaiting cups. "Courtesy of Captain Morgan!"

"Did I hear Captain Morgan?" _Speak of the devil…_ Mike sauntered in with various bits of luggage, Emily behind him carrying only her lightest bag. "I hope you're planning on sharing."

"Don't get too wasted tonight, Mike," Emily said as she passed around him, her hips swaying slightly as she made her way around the luggage. Behind the two followed the rest of the group.

Josh gave a grin and rounded the counter to meet his friends. He reached a hand out to Mike and the larger boy took it with practiced ease as their shoulders collided in a friendly, brother like hug. Mike's free hand reached out and patted the former's back in a rough boyish fashion, which Josh returned. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol already taking its toll, but it seemed Mike's touch was rougher than usual. As they released their grip, Josh just shrugged it off as nothing. "Ready to party?"

A large grin spread across Mike's handsome face. "Always. Let's make this a night to remember," he paused for a moment and surveyed the cabin, "Where's my sister, by the way?"

Josh pointed up to the ceiling above him. "With mine. I think it's a twin thing."

To the side, Ashley had made it in last and closed the door behind her. Her soft hands turned the latched and locked it with a click as she joined the conversation. "I don't think the twin thing extends to other twin sets…" Josh gave a shrug as Beth made her way down the stairs, her footsteps light and quick.

"Hannah just wanted Mia to help her with her with something. They'll be down in a second." All eyes were on the younger twin skeptically, and she gave a shrug. "She's better at nails than I am." She trotted over to the shelf of movies and picked out one. Some grotesque monster was on the cover, snarling at the prospective audience. "Something spooky to start us off?"

Upstairs, Mia twirled a file between the fingers of her left hand as she gingerly held Hannah's tanned fingers in her own pale digits. She inspected them with her goal being optimal symmetry, but even without the help of the polish that sat on the ground beside her, the girl's nails gleamed with health. As Mia examined her work, Hannah tried her best to keep in her spot without fidgeting, but the voices from below made it difficult for her to relax. "So…Mike and Emily…?"

Mia nodded as she placed the file down and picked up the bottle of clear gloss. "Still together. I'd much rather it be you but, "as she talked, she opened the bottle and started on the paint, "He's a big boy and I can't make him do anything." Mia twisted the girl's hand around and wiped any of the clear coat off of her skin. "If I could, he'd be doing grocery runs." Hannah gave a slight giggle at her humor, but returned to the topic.

"But do you think maybe we have a chance?" Mia gave a shrug, preferring not to crush her friend's dreams. Mike was popular with the women, as he was well aware of, but perhaps even he was capable of change.

"Maybe in the future. Keep your chin up, kiddo, and whatever you do…" With all of Hannah's nails done, Mia put up the polish and placed it in the small bin of nail products beside her. She grabbed the bottle of vodka that sat near her toes and held it up to Hannah's smooth lips. "You're probably going to need lots of alcohol." Hanna blinked her large doe eyes behind her glasses before gingerly taking the bottle in the palms of her hands, careful not to mess up the paint on her fingers. She downed a large portion of the bottle before making a face of disdain and giving it back to its rightful owner. A few drops fell down her face to her bosom, and the wet sensation on her chest made her flail her hands back and forth.

"Shit! Now I smell like it!"

"You think he's gonna care what you smell like?" Mia gave a laugh and stood up to return the box of beauty supplies to its proper place. She discarded her shoes to the side and now only had furry black socks on. "He's dating _Emily_. Bitch smells like eggrolls." The two erupted into giggles at their petty joke until the door opened. Sam looked in, a soft smile on her delicate face.

"We're going to put a movie in right now, if you two would like to join us."

Hannah gave a quick nod and held up her perfectly done nails. "Be there in just a minute." Satisfied with her answer, Sam gave a nod and closed the door before returning to the rest of the group. Mia gave a merry laugh from her place, taking Hanna off guard. "What's so funny?"

Still in giggles, she shook her head. "I'm just happy that we're all together. Tonight is going to be awesome." She held her hand out for the girl to take. "Let's head down."

[01:45 PM Blackwood Pines]

Hours passed by quickly as the rowdy teenagers chattered themselves into a quiet lull as the groups split up into two. In the kitchen were three drunkest members of the group were sitting down at the table. Chris, having the weaker alcohol tolerance, had passed out on the tabletop some minutes ago, his mouth parted and a thin dribble of spit leaking from the corner of his lips and onto the hard countertop.

Mia sighed and despite being tipsy herself, she managed to get up from her seat next to Josh and hobble her way over to her hapless blonde friend. Her hand wrapped around the furry hood of Chris's coat and she pulled it so his head lifted from the counter. She pushed his arm from its position far to the side into a position under his head before gently easing his face onto the makeshift pillow. It wasn't much, but it was enough so his face wouldn't be marred with the imprint of the crevices of the counter.

"Hey, M," Josh's slurred voice made the girl turn her head towards the boy. He had also gotten up and like his friend, he was smashed. His walk was a little wobbly, but he somehow was still on his feet and seemed to be able to walk on his own. He signaled for her to follow him with a wave of his hand. "I want to show you something." She raised a dark skeptical brow; _what joke was he going to play on her?_ Regardless, she complied and followed him. Her sock covered feet slid soundless against the ground as she followed behind him.

"One too many jello shots tonight, Josh?" she mused, her own voice slow and intoxicated. He chuckled a little bit and waved her further down the hallway. "Can't wait until the morning? We're both pretty fucked up-" She turned her eyes to the side to look outside the window they passed by. A movement caught her attention and she stopped in her tracks and stared out drunkenly. Her lips were parted slightly and her sweet breath came out slowly and evenly as she watched the snow fall outside in hopes that she would catch the motion again.

"Mia." She was pulled away from her musings and turned her attention to the voice when a pair of lips landed haphazardly on her own. It was a surprise to the girl as her eyes widened instinctively as one of his larger hands placed itself on her hip and eased her back against the wall adjacent to the window. Her back pressed against the wood and the force behind the kiss intensified with the extra support to both their bodies. Her heart thudded in her chest, but not with fear. Excitement coursed through her veins as her body reacted before her mind did. One of her hands reached around to his sweater collar and grasped it tightly while the other hand desperately tried to tangle itself in his short locks to bring him closer to her. Her eyes fluttered to a close as his hand travelled to the small of her back where her shirt had risen and exposed milky skin. The contact made her arch her back with pleasure as her breasts pressed into his firm chest. The hand that kept his body steady against the wall clenched into a fist as the slight movement of her sinful figure brought a wave of pleasure crashing down through his young hormone fueled body. The hand that previously rested innocently on the small of her back just above her belt travelled lower as it memorized the curve of her backside and thighs until it could move down no further. With a gentle pull, he eased her leg up around his waist and pressed his hips into hers. The sudden pressure forced her mouth off of his as groan of pleasure escaped her. Both stood there, breathing heavily as they gathered their thoughts. His forehead was against hers and their ragged, alcohol infused breaths mingled together as they locked lustful gazes. Mia was sure it was going to move to the bedroom next.

Suddenly, his arms slackened as his weight fully collapsed on her small body. She squealed as he fell to the ground and dragged her full form down with him. His back slammed against the ground roughly, but she had his head cradled against her shoulder to prevent his skull from slamming into the ground. Mia herself had fallen less than gracefully on his chest, but before she could suffocate him under her weight, she scrambled off of him. In her drunken state and due to the slippery floor under her socks, she almost fell down once or twice before finally regaining her balance and looking down at Josh from her position kneeled next to him. He has passed out due to the excessive amount of alcohol.

With a sigh of disappointment, she grabbed his arms and slowly lifted him up off the ground to the best of her ability and dragged him to the bar while trying to maintain her own clumsy balance. After a few minutes of stumbling and accidentally knocking things off the counter with Josh's body, Mia did make it to the counter.. Using all her upper body strength, she lifted him so he could rest on the counter with his butt in the seat. She let out a held breath and ran a hand through her smooth short black obsidian locks.

By chance, her eyes landed on a piece of paper that was out of place; it wasn't there when she left with Josh earlier. It was addressed to Hannah, but the familiar scrawl of her brother caught her attention. After ensuring Josh wouldn't fall down without her support, she made her way over and snatched up the paper roughly. If Mike was involved with this, it wouldn't be good. She skimmed the paper and her thin brows knitted in confusion. _He didn't like her…_ "The fuck…?" she mumbled out, genuinely confused.

As if to answer her question, a familiar head of dark hair darted down the stairs and out the nearest door. Mia's lips parted to call to Hannah when more people made their way downstairs and outside to watch the girl go. As Beth went to investigate, Mia stared at the note in horror, putting the pieces together as they squabbled outside and Beth's voice trailed off as she pursued her sister.

Not even taking the time to put on shoes, Mia ran clumsily outside to help her friends. The shock of the cold against her feet made her stumble at first, but a familiar, yet unwelcomed grip tugged her back. "Mia-" Before she could exercise control over her actions, her unrestrained fist made contact with her brother's nose and broken it with a harsh crack. He let go. In her fit of rage, she threw the note in his bloodied face.

"Shove this up your ass and go _die!_ " She snapped at him with venom. She was rarely so harsh to her brother, but the anger and intoxication took control of her emotions as she sprinted off into the forest, ignoring her brother's cursing and calls for her to come back.

Within two minutes of her pursuit, she couldn't feel her toes, but she didn't care. All she needed was to go find Hannah and tell her how _stupid_ Michael was and that she'd personally spike his protein shake with laxatives the minute they got back. "Hanna-," Het foot caught on an exposed root and sent her tumbling down into the snow. The cold filled her open mouth and she flailed around in an attempt to get back on course. She squealed in pain when her back crashed into the trunk of a tree. The impact knocked a blanket of snow off the branches and on top of Mia. Once again, she screeched with the sudden change in temperatures and struggled to knock all the cold, wet substance off of her clothing.

She got up, her limbs wobbling with the pain in her back and the bitter cold that chilled her to her bones before continuing on, her arms clutched tightly to her center as she ran. "Damnit Hannah-" Once more she was cut off, but it wasn't by a mouthful of snow. Her voice simply stopped working and she stared up into the tree line with constricted pupils. The shadow from earlier caught her eye, but it was solid now.

Leggy, long and gruesome, its spidery fingers clutched the tree trunk as its glassy eyes stared directly at her. The emaciated creature easily towered over her if it stood straight, but its curved spine gave it a ghastly hunch that made it seem that much more ghastly. However, the most disturbing thing was just how _human like_ it was. Bipedal, opposable thumbs, a small nose…it looked like it has been human at one point.

Her bottom lip trembled in horror as she stood frozen in shock. It seemed to be unaware of her presence and searching for something else entirely. A few tense moments passed and it darted to the next tree closer to the girl. She could the bile rise in her throat as its sharp sporadic movements brought it closer to her. Closer and closer it jumped, its movements quicker than lightning until it couched in the snow inches from curvy body. Lesser women might have passed out or screamed, but Mia was no fool. If it didn't see her then…if she kept quiet enough-

A shrill jingling alarm in her pocket screamed to life and blared the guitar solo of _Carry on my Wayward Son._ The creature snapped its tiny head towards Mia, and it screeched and lashed one arm out at her. Its shrill cry and the girl's screams mingled as she threw her arms up to protect her face. Its long talons ripped through the sweater like a hot knife through butter. Her skin split in even, thin lines like paper cuts. Its hand wrapped around her head and threw her roughly into the snow with a much more forceful impact than she experienced earlier. Her skull cracked against the ground, but the snow provided enough cushion to prevent her from dying due to impact. Still conscious but with few motor skills, she was unable to move away from the creature before it was upon her. Kansas played in the snow a few feet away with a blood spattered screen. Never in her life had the unfortunate girl thought that setting an alarm to watch a _Harry Potter_ marathon would be a bad idea, but she had been proven wrong. The creature tore through the fabric that pooled around her abdomen and again, the skin split like it was nothing.

Mia's cries of pain resounded through the forest, and despite her impending doom, she realized that she had found the answer to a lifelong question. _If a tree fell in the forest, would anyone hear?_ The answer seemed to be a solid _no_ as she continued her weak fight against the superior being. She closed her eyes tightly, not wanting her last image to be something as grotesque as the _thing_ above her.

Before she could say her prayers and apologize to whatever god there was, the weight was lifted from her body as light filled her vision. She didn't imagine death to be so…warm. She parted her chocolate eyes to see an inferno and instinctively, her arm, bloodied and broken from the assault, moved to shield her face. _Oh, she was in hell…_ and as if on cue, a man in heavy clothing that was controlling the flame stepped into view. Vision swimming and in pain, Mia's body gave out and her head rolled to the side as the darkness took her.

The creature darted off out of sight and suddenly, the stranger stopped his assault and looked at the girl on the ground. He was torn by the choices presented to him. The cold should help stop the excessive blood flow and he hoped sorely that he had a chance, but he could not stay and help her back to safety. He had to move before it claimed more lives. Without another glance, he continued on his hunt.


	2. Chapter 2

[11:55 UCLA Medical Center]  
[One Month After Incident]

"…can't do…anymore."

"….unlikely…veg…"

"…d…do…to me…"

 _What was going on?_ Mia could feel her lips trying to move and voice her concerns. Her brother's voice was distressed and angry at the other two eerily familiar voices. She desperately tried to lift her hand up from its place by her side, but to no avail. She tried everything: twitching her toes, swallowing her cotton mouth, wiggling her ears…Nothing worked. She was just still. She couldn't even part her eyes as they felt like they were pasted together with cement.

A few feet away from her, the frantic arguing came to an abrupt stop and the door closed. The room was filled with the quiet beeping of the heart monitor and heavy breathing from the only other person in the room other than Mia herself. She tried to focus on his voice and make out what he was mumbling.

 _"_ Fuck, Fuck, Fuck," he chimed over and over again as his footsteps began to pace around the room anxiously. His hands were running through his hair as he held his head, she just knew it. It was one of Mike's habits when he didn't have anything to do with his hands. Mia always chided him when he did it because the motion irritated her. "God _fucking_ damnit Mia…" His footsteps stopped right by her side and weight was placed near her side. The bed she assumed she was on shifted slightly as she assumed he put his weight on the side. "Look, if you can hear me, do _something_. _Anything,_ " he urged her in a hushed frantic whisper. Her sassy side wanted to tell him to _make her_ , but she had no strength to move her lips. "Your ass is on the line right now, and you need to get up and do some crazy shit, ok? Bounce right back and we can go back to fucking normal, ok?" She wished that she could reach out a hand and slap him in the face, but her body did not comply with her desires. "Look, you can't…" he took a pause to catch his breath before continuing to berate her, "You can't leave me here, not like this. I did a shit job as a brother, and we're here now. You _can't_ die. You _can't_ leave me alone out here." She heard him loud and clear, yet she couldn't give him any affirmation that she did hear him. Dread welled up in her stomach as she realized the gravity of the situation.

Mia Munroe didn't want to die. There was so much she had to do in her life that hadn't been accomplished yet. She hadn't gotten to wear her summer dress she bought on sale weeks ago. There was also a hair appointment coming up soon she had to get to; she had scheduled it months in advance with a very expensive and prestigious salon. And of course, she had to see what was going through Josh's dumb head the other night…And there was Hannah and Beth's birthday coming up soon, and she had promised… _and she still had to beat the shit out of her brother for the insensitive prank he pulled._ Mia was unaware that tears of rage and sorrow dripped from the corner of her closed eyes and onto the pillow. Fresh, salty, emotional tears rolled from her eyes and down the curve of her pale cheeks.

Michael had his head against the metal bar of the bed that kept his sister comfortable during her extensive stay in the hospital. She hadn't responded to his pleading and guilt racked his body mercilessly. He _should_ have gone after her, made sure she was safe. He _should_ have been looking her in those woods as well, not just been waiting in the hospital for her to recover.

She had been missing for a whole 12 hours. The first one, he didn't think too much about it. The three girls probably wanted nothing to do with him right after the stupid prank, and women were women…They could chatter for hours about nothing. But as hour after hour crept along, he realized that there was a problem and they frantically called emergency services. They searched for hours before finally finding her in the snow deep into the woods. How she had managed to make it that far was beyond her, but with the blood evidence and drag marks, it seemed like something had dragged her away from the original site a few meters off the path.

By then, he had returned home to his worried parents who shouted at him and told him all the things he knew he had done wrong. Their attempt to find an outlet for their fearful emotions took a dramatic turn and he in turn had shouted back in a pathetic attempt to cope with the rotten feelings swirling around in his gut. The only thing that broke their verbal war was a call from the police, telling them that Mia had been found, but unresponsive. She had to be brought and kept in the emergency care unit of the UCLA Medical Center. His parents offered Mike a ride to the hospital in the vehicle with them, but he declined in favor of taking his own truck. He needed time to clear his mind before something stupid came out of his mouth, and he could drive a lot faster than his father would. Speed limit meant nothing to him.

" _Damnit!"_ His fist slammed against the bed rail: once, twice, three times. "Damnit. _Damnit!"_ His choked voice couldn't rise above the strained whisper. She was just as unresponsive as when he first saw her covered in her own frostbitten blood. The injuries weren't bad enough so she had to amputate, but they were certainly close. He wasn't sure how she managed to get away with only frost blisters on her fingers and toes, but he was almost thankful. Her appearance didn't matter much if she'd only be around for another few hours. " _Don't leave me on my own…_ " He pitifully begged her, his voice overwrought with despair as he sunk further into his chair at her bedside. He was all but sure that she wasn't coming back.

The monitors next to him slowly picked up tempo in reaction to Mia's emotional battle. The rate spiked consistently quicker and quicker as her mind raced alongside her heartbeat. A scream bubbled in her throat, but like her words, she could not release it. _"I'm not going anywhere!"_ She wanted to cry at him, but her pale cracked lips only twitched ever so slightly to her body's commands. Her body didn't respond to her desperation despite mentally knowing what was coming if she didn't show signs of recovery. The pieces were being put together quickly in her head. They were planning on taking her off life support soon. _"Don't let me die! I don't want to die!"_

A vibration to her side caught her attention, and the guitar riff that followed threw Mia back into a loop of déjà vu. Instantly, her mind flashed to the outside again and she could feel the tear of her skin as her skin split under razor sharp talons. The bugged eyes of the monster stared down at her menacingly with it's blood soaked hands raised high above its head. It was silent for just a second as it contemplated something. Its cracked and uneven fangs dripped with spit as its hot breath crept across her chilly face. Its shrill screech caught her by surprise and she had thrown her hands in front of her face to protect herself-

Her vision filled with white and her lungs filled up painfully with sanitized hospital air as she gasped for breath. Her dark whiskey eyes stared at the ceiling in shock at the sudden change of scenery. Her bony fingers arched and grasped at the blanket desperately despite their bandaged and skeletal state as the adrenaline raced through her in response to her flight reaction. Breathing labored and sweat dripping down her face, she stared into oblivion and struggles to collect her thoughts. It all seemed ok as she realized the monster wasn't there, but her vision was suddenly blocked by a larger figure and she recoiled instinctively

"Oh Jesus tap-dancing Christ. Your fucking _alarm_?!" Mike's words were angry, but his tone was nothing but relieved. His sandpaper hands gently cupped her cheeks as he lowered his forehead to hers and pressed them together with a feather light touch. Mia couldn't fully register his expression in her foggy mind, but the sensation of warm drops and the sharp intake of breath he took just before pulling away from her was enough. "You…You just keep doing that thing, ok? Keep your eyes open and I'll be right back." Instinctively, she nodded her head. Immediately after, she regretted the decision as pain blossomed in the back. She could hear her sibling calling out into the hall for a nurse.

Color in the edge of her peripheral caught her attention and she slowly turned her gaze to the table where her phone slowly buzzed closer to the edge of the table. She hoped Mike would be back in time to prevent its fall onto the cold tile floor. A vase of slightly wilted flowers rested at the corner closest to her bed and she couldn't help but notice that her favorite pink peonies stared back at her. They were still beautiful even though they were aged. There was a card attached to the ribbon wrapped around the clear vase. A few more cards cat on the table next to it and she raised a shaky hand and reached fro them at a snail's pace. The door opened and the sudden rush of noise made her vision swim once more. Mia closed her eyes and retracted her usable hand over her face in an attempt to relieve the headache. "Hey! Quit that shit!" Her brother's commands filled her with annoyance, but she knew he was right. Reluctantly, she parted her swollen lids. The unfamiliar men in loose fitting lab coats filled her with dread. She knew that her stay would be long and excruciatingly boring.

[14:00 Munroe Household]  
[2 weeks Later] _  
_

"You got off pretty good there, sis." Mia cocked an eyebrow and turned her eyes to Mike. He didn't return the look as his eyes were on the road, but he could feel her skeptical expression in the air. "I mean, three months of physical therapy is pretty short, and you get a pretty sweet wheelchair for a while." She cracked a smile and rolled her eyes.

"You're going to wheel my ass around, Michael."

"Of course. Anything for my baby sister."

"Just cause you came out first doesn't mean shit."They came to a stop sign and she slapped at the console between them to get his attention. "And seriously? You're going _speed limit_?"

"Hey, I'm a law abiding citizen that wants to get my poor handicapped sister home," after looking both ways for the second time, he took off again. "Besides, you wanted to stop for some food and I couldn't bear to have it fly off and onto the floor." He threw a thumb over his shoulder and pointed back at the pizzas in the back seat.

"Yeah cause I'm _fucking starving_. Hospital food doesn't appeal to my exquisite palate." She looked back at the stack of four in the back seat. "But like, four of them? Don't get me wrong, I'm going to eat a whole one, and maybe you will too, but that does seem a little excessive. Mom and dad are out of town for the week on business, so it's just me and you…"

Mike shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't feel like cooking dinner tonight. We'll just throw them in the fridge." Mia sighed and shook her head dismissively. Her once well groomed appearance was shaggy and unkempt, much to her chagrin. Her hair was no longer a neat cut, but instead fluffed out around her face in disarray. "When have _you_ been the one to complain about too much food?" She scoffed playfully and turned her gaze out the window to watch familiar trees passing by.

"When you're the one buying it. What's going on in your head?" Moments later, they arrived at their familiar two-story home. The sight of the bland, well groomed lawn and pruned bushes never gave her comfort prior, but the familiarity was almost therapeutic. The cozy living room was visible from the outside windows, and she was more than ready to greet her favorite place in the entire home: the kitchen. "Come on Mike; I can't stand this any longer."

"Cool your jets there speed racer." He slid out of the truck and looped around the back, leaving Mia on her own in the car. She crossed her arms with a huff. Stitches had been placed in immediately after arriving at the hospital, but were taken out before she could see them. All that remained were the small marks and the scars underneath her oversized jacket. Her eyes were glued on her home as she reexamined every inch of it she could have possibly forgotten in her short absence. As she stared into the glass pane windows, a shadow moved inside. Instantly, her mind flew to the creature that had attacked her on the mountain and she tensed. Every hair on her stood erect and her chestnut orbs couldn't be wider. The door next to her opened and she whipped her head to her brother, fear evident on her face. Her expression drew a worried frown from her twin as he reached up to help her down.

"What's the deal?" Mia hadn't mentioned the creature to anyone for fear that they would send her to a therapist and think she was crazy. When they asked her what had happened, she had just lied and said that a Mountain Lion had gotten a hold of her and she had managed to fight it off before passing out. It at least explained the claw marks raked across her body. She clutched onto mike's arm desperately as he eased her into the chair. He tried to pull away, but her grip was tight on his biceps and he could feel the pressure of her nails even through his white thermal. "Hey ease up there. What's wrong?"

Mia swallowed the lump in her throat and reluctantly released him. "Nothing…I'm just a little sore still." Her parents kept the house locked tight after break-ins were noted to be on the rise in the news. No one could have gotten in without breaking one of the luxurious windows.

"Yeah. Sure." Mike seemed skeptical, but he let the topic go and retrieved the food from the cramped back seat. "Here, you carry it in." Mia took it quietly in her hands as Mike took hold of the handles of the wheelchair and moved forward. Luckily enough, there were no steps until they got to the front door and the ride was smooth for anxious Mia. She opened the lid of the box on top and snatched up a piece of the piping hot pizza and shoved a bite in her mouth. Strings of greasy cheese still clung to the rest of the pie and the heat stung her fingertips. She didn't care much. If that thing was in the house waiting to kill her, she was at least going to have a bite of her final meal. "Don't eat it all before we get in! That's the one I like best!" She flipped him the bird and continued stuffing her face. With an exasperated sigh, Mike flipped out the house key and unlocked the door. "Well, welcome home." With a dramatic flip of his hand, he flicked the light switch on, revealing a scene that made Mia's stomach turn.

Almost all of her friends were there: Matt, Sam, Ashley, Chris, Matt, Emily…and even Jessica. A frown plastered itself on Mia's tired face as they brightened up at the sight of her. For some reason, she found herself wishing the monster had been in the house instead of these people. Mike's supportive hand rubbed her shoulder gently as he pushed her through the entrance and shut the door behind him. "They all wanted to see you. So I thought maybe a little party would cheer you up."He was wrong, but she didn't say anything to spoil his mood as she swallowed her bite. Her once voracious appetite had died.

First to approach her was the one she actually didn't mind seeing: Sam. The blonde marched up with a relieved smile on her face before leaning down and embracing Mia the best she could. The wheelchair proved to be a worthy obstacle. The metal jabbing into her smooth soft jaw line didn't deter Sam as she squeezed the tightest she could without hurting Mia. "It's so good to see you. I sent you a card. Did you get it?" Mia gave a nod and pulled out the corner of an envelope from one of the large pockets.

"I was going to read them later." Sam seemed pleased with this answer and laid a hand gently on Mia's shoulder.

"If you need anything, you just let me know, ok?" Mia gave a nod and fixated her cold stare past Sam and onto the girls a few feet away. Mine and her had talked in the hospital and settled their feud, but she had learned during the course of their talks what had happened. The urge to take Jessica's pigtails and rip them right off of her head seemed proper to Mia. Chris came up to her next and gripped her in a bear hug and almost lifted her off her seat.

"Looks like we've got a real Houdini here," He chimed as he relished the feel of holding his friend again. "You've gotta tell me your tricks." Mia seemed rather unresponsive to his affection, only giving him a slight pat on the back to return the gesture. It didn't bother Chris much as he removed the food from Mia's lap and brought it to the table. Ashley seemed to realize Mia's disdain for her and waved a shy greeting before returning to the rest of the group.

Nothing much registered in Mia's mind. She had a bone to pick with Jessica; Emily would come later.

The blonde approached her, bubbly as ever with a sweet smile stretched across her pretty face. Her upbeat attitude seemed to be contagious as Mia managed to crack a grin as well by the time Jess stopped in front of her. "I was so worried for you!" She chimed like a bell as she stood before the injured girl. Her hands were behind her back and she awkwardly shifted her weight from one foot to the other. The motion almost nauseated Mia as much as her mere presence. She had been indifferent to the party girl prior, but nothing but pure disgust before the otherwise gorgeous girl was on her mind. Still, she seemed more excited to see Jessica than anyone else.

"I'm glad to hear that. I like your sweater." Mia raised one of her slender fingers up to point at Jessica's apparel. The chunky, shapeless brown knit pullover did no justice to Jessica's figure, but it looked warm for the cold January day outside. Jessica seemed pleased, but was oblivious to the tension in the air. Mike was just a few feet away, watching the tense scene unfold. Beside him, Chris observed the event as well.

"Ten bucks says that she's getting a broken nose," Chris mused to Mike as he watched the two talk. Mia's body tensed as their seemingly casual conversation continued, but her smile was still plastered on her face. He was more than familiar enough with her body language to know when she was going to snap.

"Twenty says that there's going to be a black eye…" Mike gave a sigh and stood up with the intent of going between the two females. He was too late to stop anything though. Jessica had finally noticed just how physically anxious Mia was and asked an innocent question out of concern.

"What's wrong with you?" Jessica crouched down by Mia to check if she was in physical pain. It was as fatal mistake on her part. The close proximity of the girl she loathed and her wording of the question broke what little patience she had. Her hand flew out and slammed into her nose before she considered controlling her temper. The impact threw Jessica off her feet and onto her bottom with a squeal. Mia's fingers relaxed for a moment and set her hard glare onto the girl.

"What's wrong with _me?"_ she hissed as once again she become tense and grabbed at the arm rests of her chair. Using all her strength, she tried to pull herself out and onto her feet. "Look who's fucking asking!"

Jessica scrambled to her feet. Her nose was notably crooked and beginning to swell underneath her hand. Dribbles of blood leaked through the spaces between her fingers. "You crazy _bitch!"_ Jessica stood before Mia, visible livid. The latter had managed to make it to her wobbly feet, but she didn't waver with her glare and her posture was aggressive. Even though Mia was slightly smaller in stature, her attitude made up for the size difference.

"Come at me; I'm in a wheelchair and I'll still kick your bony ass." Before she could follow through with her threat, Matt cut in between them and placed a hand gently on her shoulders.

"Hey, chill out," He gently grasped her quivering shoulder with her one of his large hand. Mia fixed her glare on him when she could no longer see Jessica.

"I'll fuck you up too Matthew," she practically snarled as her legs wobbled under her weight, not used to supporting her weight. He was slightly taken aback at her animosity towards him; she seemed to be fond of him for the most part. Occasionally, they had gone to the gym together or caught a movie when everyone else was busy. He noticed her quivering and pressed both of hands.

"You _need_ to sit down. You can fuck me up _later_." She wasn't amused with his humor, but she could feel her legs straining and she allowed him to assist her down. From around him, she could see Sam had put herself in between Matt and Jessica and made another barrier. Just beyond, Mike cursed before fishing out his wallet and passing a crisp bill to Chris. A smug grin was painted on the blonde's face as he took it and popped it teasingly in front of her brother's face. "Mia." She turned her attention back to Matt. He hovered over her with concern. She frowned and turned her eyes downwards to her hands that lay in her lap. Her right was slightly swollen where it connected with Jessica's face. She clenched them angrily with such force that her knuckled turned white and they trembled with fury.

"Get. _Out,"_ she hissed lowly enough for only him to hear. His expression twisted into confusion and his lips parted to ask her, but she interrupted him with a louder command. " _Get the fuck out my house!"_ She screeched, " _All of you!"_

They all stared at her, flabbergasted by her sudden outburst. Her shoulders heaved as she desperately tried to gulp in as much air. Her long bangs had fallen in her face and no one could see any of her emotions.

Mike patted Chris on his back gently and got up to ease them outside. His intentions of cheering her up had backfired and now she was overwhelmed when she shouldn't be. Chris took the signs and pocketed his profit before making his way to the door. "Alright, party's over kids," Chris announced as he walked to the door. He reached out and touched Ashley's shoulder and urged her to follow. Jessica followed more than eagerly and all that was left was Matt who still hovered over Mia worriedly. He was reluctant to leave his friend in her distressed state, but it was obvious to him that his presence was part of cause. He shook her head and gingerly patted her shoulder before following the rest.

They were gone, but the elephant in the room still remained. Mike approached Mia who trembled in her seat and kneeled down so he was eyelevel with her. She just turned gaze down and tucked her chin into her chest. "What the _heck_ was that?" He asked as he tried to get a look at her expression from underneath her thick locks. She inhaled sharply, as if she was struggling to breathe evenly and smoothly. "Look at me, Mia," he urged and ran his rough fingertips under her jaw line. She didn't budge until he reached to push her hair out her face. She clumsily shoved his hands away from her. "Look at me," he demanded as he began to worry for her health. If she didn't calm down, she could potentially hurt herself with the stress. His sudden tone change was enough to make her stop fighting him. Her fingers were curled weakly around his wrist. "Nothing's going to hurt you, ok? Not while I'm here." He finally brushed the curtain of hair out of her eyes and he could finally see that she was trying to hold back sobbing.

Fat, hot tears ran down her cheeks as her face was contorted into a grimace. Her lip was between her teeth and she was biting it so hard that beads of blood welled up where her canine dug into the flesh. Strands of her own hair stuck to her face where they had been touched by tears. She couldn't hide the pure sadness in her glossy orbs, even as she tried wiping them away on her wrists. She rasped out a choked up string of words. "I…Miss…them."

Heart twisting in his chest and guilt wracking him once more, he drew her into his arms and rubbed her back gently. "I know…" he mumbled out as she finally released her wails into the crook of his neck. He could feel the warmth of her tears soaking into the fabric of his shirt as her arms snaked around his shoulders and clutched feebly at his shirt. "It'll be fine though," he promised her, even though he didn't quite believe his own words.

They stayed in that position for a while. He wasn't sure how long, but her joints were beginning to complain with the strain when her tears seemed to cease and her bawling turned into hiccups. Her grip slackened slightly and he managed to pull away and straighten up. "Today's been shit. Go take a bath and when you're done, I'll have the Xbox on and we can play whatever you want to. Does that sound good?" Mia nodded and wiped the tear tracks off her face and relaxed back. "Good." Mike reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out her phone. There was a fine crack across the screen, but a black vinyl case enclosed it to prevent further damage. "Text me if you need any help, ok?" Again, she nodded again and took the phone. "Alright, let's roll."

Mia eyed the white walls as they moved down the hallway. There seemed to be more pictures of her than there were last time, almost like her parents had been preparing for the worst. The thought stabbed an icy blade into her stomach. A few more hours unresponsive in her room at the hospital and they would have been right. A shudder ran down her spine.

The guest bedroom downstairs on the first floor had been transformed into her temporary bedroom. Her sheets from upstairs had been transferred downstairs and the queen sized bed looked more inviting than ever. The crisp white sheets of the hospital had been almost painful to look at. As plain as they were, she much preferred her crimson comforter and pillows. She missed the feel of the faux fur on her face. A few stuffed animals were placed neat the foot of the bed, and even her pictures and curtains had been transferred down to make her surroundings more familiar.

"Alright," Mike wheeled his sister to the bathroom door, "You do your thing." He waved her off playfully before returning to the living room where they were previously. "Get your game face on, sis. I'm gonna kick your butt."

Mia laughed lightly at her brother and got onto her feet. Like a newborn horse, she wobbled and grasped for the wall as she tried her balance, and after regaining it, she made a move to remove her coat. She was interrupted when her phone vibrated in her hand with an incoming text. With an exasperated sigh, she looked at the message. It was from the eldest Washington.

 _"Sorry for not coming to see you today. I had to go to the doctor."_ Mia knew about Josh's therapy sessions with Dr. Hill. She didn't doubt that he was spending a lot of time there with the his sibling's disappearance and her own near death. Her phone buzzed once more as another text quickly followed. _"I'll come see you as soon as possible."_ The thought brought a spot of warmth in her heart as she quickly replied.

" _I'd like that."_ Before sending it, she examined the message and decided it was missing something before adding a quick emoticon. She wasn't aware of how much her smile had stretched across her face as she threw her phone onto her bed and entered the bathroom. She sorely looked forward to her visit with Josh, whatever it entailed.

* * *

A/n: Thank you for all the reviews and favorites!


	3. Chapter 3

[13:30 Munroe Household]  
[5 Months After Incident]

Mia hadn't heard from Josh for over two months after he sent her the text, and she was beginning to get antsy. Mike couldn't be around her all the time, and after alienating most of her friends, she had become quite the shut in. Her physical therapy finished a few weeks ago and as much as she hated going to it, it gave her something to do on a daily basis. Now without it, she had only been bouncing between Netflix, her game console and the kitchen.

She had curled up on the couch with a blanket around her small form. The hot weather outside had persuaded her to stay inside and tucked away from humanity. With her parents working and Mike out of the house, she had everything in the home to herself and no one to tell her how and when to do things. She should have been relaxed, but that wasn't the case. Mia was on edge and every few minutes, she'd glance over her shoulder, half expecting to see the tall creature from months ago. The thought of being alone still made her skin crawl. Mike had offered to stay home with her in case she needed anything, but she knew he had a life outside of her and insisted that he go have fun on his own. She clutched the controller of the Xbox as her tired sepia orbs stared at the screen, transfixed by whatever warfare game she had her hands on. The violent gunfire and explosions filled her head and she had almost been in a trance with how fixated she was on winning the round. One more and-

The shrill cry of the doorbell startled her. Her controller flew out of her hands and clattered across the floor as Mia herself became hopelessly tangled in her blankets. They grabbed at her like fingers and twisted around her body. She attempted to free herself, but the couch suddenly disappeared from under her and she fell to the floor with a _thud!_ "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" She hissed at the blankets as they continued trying to engulf her and make her one of their own.

Finally freed from her suffocating prison, she scrambled to her feet and across the house. "Coming!" She called to the door before swinging it open, expecting a delivery from UPS or her brother at the very least, but she was greeted a friend she didn't expect to see. Matthew stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets and shuffling his feet awkwardly as he waited. It was obvious that he was anxious. The sound of the door opening made him look up from the ground and at her and he cracked a small smile before a silence settled over them. She just blinked her doe eyes in surprise and watched his actions. _What did he want?_

"I uh…" he fumbled over his words as he tried to form a proper sentence. He didn't think he would really get as far as he did, so he didn't plan far enough ahead. He thought that she would take one look at him and slam the door in his face, but she hadn't and he wasn't sure what to say to her. "Hey," he managed to squeak out nervously.

Mia just blinked once more, as if her mind was racing to process the situation. "Hey," she replied, though her voice was notably more confident than his. "What's up?"

He swallowed a lump in his throat and plucked at the hem of his white t-shirt. "I just wanted to…" he gave a sigh and hesitated as he tried to decide how to word himself. After a tense silence between them, he took a leap of faith."I didn't want to leave things how they were the last time I saw you. You were so upset and I…I wanted to say that we didn't mean for-"

She held up her soft palm and shook her head, cutting him off. "It's fine," she paused, "Well, it's really not, but dwelling over what's happened isn't helping any of us we just need to…" Mia took a deep breath. Her words seemed to cause her a great deal of pain judging from her contorted facial expression. The hand that rested by her side was tightly clenched, but after a deep inhale, she began to relax her grip. "Move on from it…"

Matt was slightly taken aback by her words, yet he welcomed them nonetheless. "Yeah, I'd like that." He cracked a bright smile even as worry still nagged at the back of his head. He knew that Mia was not so forgiving. She still had a grudge against a girl that threw a basketball at the back of her head during freshman year, even after she had gotten her revenge against the poor thing by putting laxatives in her water bottle during the same gym class. Mia had taken such offense to such a petty crime, yet she desired to move on from a more serious offense? He shook his head; the football player didn't want to push the subject and hurt what little progress they had made. "So…Are you uh," he still wasn't sure why he was so nervous to talk to her. Threatening to beat him up wasn't the problem; they went to the gym together all the time and he had made the mistake of taking her on a few times. The ghost of an ache in his ribs wasn't what was making him nervous, but he couldn't put his finger on what was. "Are you doing anything today?"

"Actually, I-"A familiar drop of a bass caught Mia's attention and made her glace at the cracked screen of her smart phone. Josh Washington's name lit up the screen and her heart skipped a beat in anticipation. _"Come over?"_ Two words made her world so much more vibrant. She sincerely wanted to see Josh, but Matt… "I told Josh I would watch a movie with him today. He's been really busy and hasn't seen me since…," She paused for a moment and her silence danced around the awkward subject. then reached one hand out and stepped from the foyer and onto the front porch. The chill of her fingertips against the skin of his forearm sent an eager chill up his spine. "But I haven't been cleared to drive yet so I could really use a ride." He nodded at her and snatched the keys off the belt loop of his jeans.

"I got you. I'll get you there in five minutes, no sweat." Mia seemed pleased with his answer as a smile spread across her face. She scurried inside and rushed around to turn off the lights. He leaned against the door frame as she rushed around. "How do you wear long sleeve shirts all the time? Like don't you get hot?"

"Yeah, but it's better than being cold. And I mean I can take it off," she teasingly pulled up the hem of her black shirt and allowed her alabaster skin peeked out, along with the tail end of the scar that tore across her once smooth stomach. He had completely forgotten that she had scars from her incident at the beginning of the year and quickly averted his gaze before she could catch him staring at the angry reminder of his mistakes. She quickly returned with her backpack that she had brought with her to the lodge a months prior. She snatched her flats from the front of the door and hurried out the door. It closed shut behind her and she locked it with a soft click. "Alright, let's blow this popsicle stand, Camry."

He gave a slight sigh and pulled his keys from his deep pockets. Matthew didn't have a particularly good car; it was a used 2007 Toyota Camry, and it painted a generic gold color like every other middle class teenager's car. "Don't knock it or you're walking."

Mia crossed her arms stubbornly as she walked along. "I'm not saying it's a bad car, I'm just saying…" the playful silence lingered between them for a moment before she broke it once more. "Mine is waaaay better."

Matt rolled his chocolate orbs and shook his head dismissively. "Mine runs and it's got AC. That's pretty sweet by me." Mia stuck out her pink tongue at him and he cracked a pearly white grin. "I'm serious about making you walk."

"Yeah right," she mused as she opened the passenger's door and immediately went for the FM transmitter attached to the cigarette lighter socket, "You're way too nice to throw me out." She popped the headphone jack into the proper slot and began scrolling through her Spotify account. He shook his head, knowing full well that she was completely correct. With the key in the ignition, he turned it and the engine roared to life.

"I hate when you're right." His hand placed itself on the back of her seat near her slight shoulders and he turned to look out his back window.

"You must hate me a lot- Oh!" Mia squeaked in delight as she landed on the song she wanted. Electronic beats filled the car and she turned up the volume. It was a little too loud for his tastes, but she'd have her way regardless. Resistance was futile. Again, he shook his head dismissively and backed out her driveway and pulled off into the direction of the Washington house. "Straight to Josh's house?"

"Yeah."

"Do I need to buy you any protection?" He playfully smirked at her and waggled his eyebrows teasingly. Her cheeks flushed a vibrant red and she tucked her body away from him to shield the embarrassment.

"No!" she squealed as she smacked his well toned arm, "Shut up!" Despite hitting him so hard, she couldn't knock the grin off of his face.

"Someone is crushing hard."

"Shut up!" She squeaked once more and tucked herself away, perhaps hoping she would disappear entirely. "That's not how it is!"

"Sure it isn't," he teased and took a turn. She lived within five minutes of her destination. She could have walked easily there and back with little trouble. "You're not the only one who's got it bad. Josh is just," Matt pondered for a moment and he bobbed his head side to side as he tried to word himself delicately," He's not the most romantic." From the stories that he heard of previous girlfriends, that was a bit of an understatement. He was so much more informal about relationships than most and he seemed to almost border a friends-with-benefits type relationship with how casual and relaxed he tried to be romantically. Those ideals seemed to backfire on him when past romantic interests wanted something more serious and intimate. Josh Washington seemed to have a hard time being serious when it came to most matters. Mia and Josh however…He seemed to pine after her harder than he did others.

Mia puffed out an exasperated breath of air as the Washington home came into view. A chill went up her spine as realization hit her. The house would be so empty with two less people. How was Josh faring with the loneliness? She hoped he was ok. They came to a stop and Mia uncurled herself and put her phone back in her pocket and opened the car door. Before getting out, she leaned over the middle console and pressed a playful peck of a kiss on Matt's cheek. "Thanks. You're the best."

He blinked in genuine surprise. Physical affection was a rare occurrence for Mia, even more so after the incident. Only Mike seemed to get any semblance of it. The shock rattled his thoughts until the door slammed and she was sauntering to the front door. With a sigh, he drove off. Something still seemed amiss to him, though he put it to the back of his head as his stomach growled at him. He hadn't eaten since early that morning before practice and he was next to starving.

Mia stared up at the huge home; it looked like it had been plucked out of the pages of a magazine and placed in front of her. The picturesque home was one of the best places to have a movie marathon or play games for hours with the high-tech in home theater they had set up. Popcorn machines, fountain drinks, wonderful kitchen downstairs… "Fuckin' rich people…" she mumbled as she walked to the door. Her family was well off, but they still paled in comparison to the Washington fortune, and with two less…

She shook her head and opened the door without knocking. She had gone over countless times before; she practically had free reign of the home. Mia's plump lips parted as she contemplated calling Josh's name, but she heard his voice drifting from the hallway upstairs. Another voice joined him, but it was off…as if it was almost electronic.

"So, did you make a move?" It was Chris, though…fuzzy. Her dark brows furrowed as she moved beneath the stairs to avoid being caught eavesdropping. She wasn't sure what took over her, but she had to know what they were talking about.

"That's the problem!" Josh huffed in frustration, his steps heavy. "I _think_ I already did."

He _thought_ that he did? She was no expert, but pressing a girl against the wall and kissing her senseless was 'a move' in her book. Not that she was complaining. "I don't remember what happened."

A cold hand grabbed at her stomach and squeezed her nauseous. Of course he didn't remember, how stupid could she be? She held a sigh of disappointment and clutched at the fabric of her shirt as she snuck back over to the front door.

"Dude. How could you _not_ remember. I don't like Mia like that, but _damn_ she's got the booty." Josh ran a hand through his hair, guilt racking him. He _so_ wanted to remember. The feel of her skin against his calloused fingers, the curve of her own body against his own, her spiced scent so close to him and the sensation of her lips feverishly pressed against his own. Josh wished he could relive the sensation, not dream up the possibilities of what it could have been. Chris, via face time, watched him with amusement. Seeing his friend so flustered was a rare treat. Josh seemed torn up about not being able to remember.

"Whatever happened, that's not what I wanted." he grumbled and yanked off his hoodie, leaving him in a T-Shirt with an obscure company logo. He liked her more than just physically. Sure she was lovely to look at, and Chris was right about her having the proper lady lumps. Having sex with her would not be a problem for him, but it went beyond that. He didn't want to just have her believe that he wanted her for a quick roll in the sheets. Josh wanted to take her out on a date, with just him and her and not everyone else. Or at least do something to show her that he _cared so much._

"You still have a chance, man. Just do it, don't let your dreams-" Josh shook his head as Chris began to quote the Shia Lebouff meme that ravaged the internet. The sound of the front door opening and closing prompted him to end the call without as much as a goodbye to his friend and throw his phone on the countertop where it landed with a clatter.

"I'm here!" Mia Shouted as Josh looked over the railing and down at where he expected her to be, but it seemed like she made a beeline for the restroom. "Give me just a moment."

Before he could answer her, she closed the door behind her and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were beginning to grow red as tears threatened to spill out, but she wiped them away and turned on the tap water and splashed the steaming liquid on her face. Of course it wasn't what he wanted… She gave a sigh and reached for the towel that usually hung just off to the side. There was only air in its place, and she sighed once again and began opening drawers and cabinets. A spare had to be around…

The first four just had essentials for the bathroom; face towels, spare soap bars, travel sized toothpaste…Nothing she needed. The fifth and final drawer had a small, fluffy white hand towel, which she took, but something else came out with it and clattered onto the floor. Mia picked up the orange bottle and read the label: Clozapine. It was Josh's medicine, and the date on it said that he had just picked it up the day before. So why was it empty? A frown crawled onto her face as she shook it, just to make sure there was nothing else. She snapped a quick picture of it and placed it back in its proper place. With one last look in the mirror after drying off and a fake smile, Mia walked out.

"Boo!" Mia squealed in surprise and flailed in surprise when two arms picked her up around the waist and twirled her around merrily. She kicked her legs at him in an attempt to force him to put her down, but they couldn't reach, and she was beginning to feel dizzy.

"Put me down!" she squealed. She wanted to be angry with him, to push him away and distance herself, but she didn't have the heart to do it. "Joshua Washington!" He slowed after a moment, but his grin hadn't melted off his face. Mia knew it was sincere, and he felt the cold hands grabbing at her heart and shaking it. She couldn't throw her feelings away, as much as she wanted to. It would save them both pain in the end, but she was too selfish to stop, even if it hurt her worse than any monster ever could. One word came to mind as she playfully punched his arm: _Masochist._

[16:56 Munroe Household]  
[6 Months After Incident]

Mia's eyes were tirelessly scanning the computer, looking for every possible article on Clozapine. She knew Josh's medicine wasn't the one she had accidentally knocked out the drawer. He was just on antidepressants before, but that's not what this new medication was. They were _antipsychotics_ , not that it mattered to her _what_ he was taking. The fact that he _wasn't_ taking them was the problem. Every scholarly article she found warned of withdrawal from the medication, but Josh seemed perfectly fine. Her pink tongue ran over her teeth in anticipation. _Was he really ok?_

She unlocked her phone and quickly scrolled to Josh's name. Her eyes were locked on the picture of his vibrant smile, and in a girlish fit months back, she had put a heart emoji next to his name. Mia could only pray that he would never find out this dirty little secret. Her manicured finger hovered over the small picture of a telephone before pressing it and putting it to her ear as she continued scrolling through symptoms, hoping to find anything to give her a clue.

 _Nausea?_ Not that she knew of…"Hope not…"

Vomiting/Diarrhea?

Didn't seem like he was doing a lot of that, at least around her…"Yuck."

 _Hypersalivation?_ _Diaphoresis?_ Not really…She'd probably notice excessive drooling…"Still gross…"

"Hello?" She didn't hear Josh's voice on the other line as she continued.

 _Insomnia and agitation._ "Maybe so…" She breathed out and clicked another article.

 _Rapid onset of psychosis…_ She pursed her lips together; she hoped that he was alright…

"Earth to Mia," His voice snapped her out of it and she perked up, her face flushing red in embarrassment.

"Shit, sorry; I was really into some…" she paused and looked at the screen, trying to think of anything to say that wasn't the full truth. "…Homework."

He laughed, seemingly buying her excuse, "I'm glad I don't have to deal with that anymore." There was a soft click of a closing door on his end and the squeak of his mattress before he continued. "Any reason you called?"

White teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she hesitated. "I uh…" she stammered; she couldn't put this off any longer, and more time with Josh was always a good thing…right? "Can we um…" the sentence couldn't form properly and she cursed herself, as if it wasn't already awkward before. "Can we go do something?"

On the other line, Josh blinked in surprise. She wanted him…to go out with her? His jaw slackened slightly and he stayed silent for a second, not quite believing his ears. This was exactly what he wanted. Before his chance could escape him, he rushed a quick reply and jumped up off his bed out of excitement and began pacing. "Yeah! Yeah!" he yelped as he tripped over his ottoman and lost his balance. "When?"

"Well, now would be good, but if you're busy-"

"I'll be there in five. Wear something sexy for me." She could hear the wink on his face just through his tone, but he hoped that he couldn't feel the heat from her face from her side. Before she could reply, he hung up on her. Her hand fell from the side of her face and she laid her eyes upon the screen. His picture stared back at her tauntingly and despite his enthusiasm, she found herself almost dreading being with him. He didn't like her the way that she desired him to, and it was just hurting her. She just couldn't tear herself away from him.

Her screen turned black and a flash of movement made her stiffen up and whip her head behind her; nothing was there. She sucked in a deep breath before swallowing the lump in her throat. Those things still haunted her, even though they weren't real. Telling someone about what really happened wouldn't help; she'd just get made fun of or sent to the looney bin. She inhaled a shaky breath and stood up from her desk, joints popping gently as she did. She grabbed the back of her T-shirt and prepared to yank it off when her brother's voice startled her. "Hey M-" She flailed, trapped by the shirt that was already halfway off her body before catching her foot on the corner of her bed and falling backwards onto the carpet with a squeal, this shirt bunched up and just below her breasts. Mike couldn't contain himself and bellowed out a hearty laugh. "Oh god! Good job."

She grumbled and pulled her shirt down. "Fucker…"Mia rolled onto her feet and threw her weight against her twin in an attempt to move him out of her room. "Knock before you come in!"

He didn't budge an inch; she could have flipped him onto his ass for sure, but a simple shove wasn't enough to get the massive teen going. "Door was open."

"So?!" He rolled his chocolate eyes and leaned against the frame of her door. With her attempts to get rid of him thwarted, she pouted and went to her closet. "Well there's obviously something you want-"

"Going on a date?" A cold knife stabbed into Mia's chest; Mike had heard her conversation. What embarrassing lecture was he going to give her? She sighed and shook her head as she grabbed a cardigan from off a hanger and tugged it on over her arms.

"It's not a date."

"Yeeah…Sure."

"He doesn't even like me anyway."

"You keep telling yourself that crap," Mike rolled his eyes as he watched his sister dart around the room hurriedly. She ignored him as she ran a brush through her short locks and tried to clip a necklace around her neck. When she couldn't seem to find guide the hook and clasp into the right spot, Mike removed himself from the doorway and walked over to her and took the thin gold chain from her. His hands weren't as skilled and delicate as hers, but they got the job done. "Seriously M, you can't honestly-"

"Mike." Mia said, annoyance in her tone, "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to you-"

"Mike." He held up his hands in defeat and took a step back. Talking to his sister when she was annoyed was pointless.

"You sure you're alright alone with him?"

It was her turn to cast a skeptical wiskey gaze over her shoulder. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well ever since…" an akward silence fell over the two of them, and he coughed to break it before continuing,"He's doing alright?"

"Yeah." Her response was natural even though she wasn't entirely sure it was correct. Whatever was going on, she didn't want her brother getting into the middle of it and making things worse. Things were understandably tense between Josh and the rest of the group as he still mourned over the loss of his family. Mike sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Stop that."

"What?"

Mia imitated his action dramatically, mussing her own locks. "That thing!"

"It's better than me pulling it all out because you're stressing me out." His tone was playful and one of his award winning grins crept on his face for a moment before falling back into his neutral expression. His eyes searched her for any sign of distress, but there was nothing for him to find. "But seriously, your date-"

"Not a date."

"Whatever," He pointed at her seriously," Don't do anything I wouldn't do- well…" She raised a brow and crossed her arms, allowing him to fix his mistake. "Don't do anything stupid."

"I won't. We're just going to go get a smoothie or…something." She actually didn't know what he had in mind.

"Yeah, well I'm cooking dinner tonight, and if you're not here, I'm going to eat it all."

She rolled her eyes and walked out when she saw the flash of headlights pulling into the driveway. "Fatass." Mike quickly followed behind her, but as she veered off to the side to get her shoes, he sauntered out the door and towards Josh and his unnecessarily expensive and lavish vehicle. The Washington boy turned his verdant eyes to Mike ad blinked owlishly as he rolled down the window. Mike leaned his arms on the hood of the small car and looked inside, leveling his gaze with Josh's.

"Sweet ride."

"Thanks-"

"I swear to whatever flatbread loving god there is…you hurt her, I hurt you. Capiche?" The air between them tensed up as Josh swallowed the sudden lump in his throat.

"Come on, you know me-"

" _Capiche?"_ Mike growled lowly, deadly serious despite his humorous wording. Josh could only nod stiffly and hope to god Mia would come save him.

"Mike."

He whispered out a breathy _"thank you,"_ to whoever granted his wish and straightened up in his seat. Mike too had straightened up and the fierce look that was on his face moments before dissipated instantly as he faced his sister with an innocent grin.

"Hey there, just chatting with my brother here, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah totally." Josh couldn't help but absentmindedly agree as he stared up at Mia. His dumb grin grew as she shooed away her brother. His eyes trailed down her body, engraving the memory of how her tight jeans clung to her curves as if they were painted on her skin. She turned to finally face him after ensuring Mike returned to the comfort of their home and his attention snapped up to her perfect face. "Hey…" he said simply, not having a well placed movie reference to convey the pleasure he got from her presence.

She returned the smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling slightly as it spread from ear to ear. "Hey…" Even if he didn't return her feelings, the pleasure of having him just there was enough to make her heart flutter with joy and forget the serious nature of why she called him over. He pointed to the passenger seat, where a leather bound journal sat on her seat, begging to be opened. She scurried over and picked it up before plopping her rear into the seat and buckling up. "What's this?"

Josh turned to look over his shoulder to back out. He placed a hand on Mia's seat to help him support his body as he backed out the driveway, his thumb bushing against her gently sloping shoulders as he did. He hoped that the slight touch would get some sort of reaction, but there was nothing. "Nothing, just something I want you to read." He withdrew his hand and rested it on the cup holder between them, his fingertips edging closer to her thigh as he drove out onto the street, going above speed limit in the small neighborhood. "It's a script for a movie I want to make. I want your opinion on it, since you hold no punches."

She laughed and flipped open the book, "Honesty is the best quality." Her fingertips gently traced over the outline of the picture that was messily scrawled on the first page. A man in overalls with a grotesque clown-like face stared back at her, his eyes full of malice and his lips missing to reveal teeth that were drawn into what seemed to be a disapproving frown. "Is this the bad guy?"

"Antagonist," he corrected her, his eyes on the road. "I wouldn't say he's bad."

"He looks scary…"

"I'm going for the whole Jason Voorhees angle with a twist," he chuckled as he felt her confused chocolate eyes on his face. "Friday the Thirteenth. He wanted to avenge his mother's death. And this guy," He tapped the paper lightly, his eyes still on the road, "he's not the real bad guy."

Mia chuckled at the enthusiasm in his voice. It was the most alive he had sounded in months. This story was giving him a reason to enjoy living. "I see, then who is the real bad guy?" They came to a stop and Josh turned in his seat and looked down at her, a crooked, coy smile plastered onto his face as he leaned slightly closer to her.

"Well you're going to have to read it to find out."


End file.
